Electric light regulator



(No Model.)

L. PAGET.

ELECTRIC LIGHT REGULATOR.

No. 398,574. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

LEONARD PAGET, OF TRENTON, NEW J ERSEY, STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent ASSIGNOR TO run nacnrinouNEW YORK, N. v.

310393574, dated November 27,1888.

Application filed May 28, 1888. Serial No. 275,306. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, LEONARD PAGET, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Light Re ulators,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in arc-light regulators in whichthe feed of the carbons or electrodes is regulated or governed bythermal effects and adapts the lamp for use with either direct oralternating current gen= erators of electricity.

It is well known by electricians that are lamps governed byelectro-magnetic regulators, or, in fact, any regulator in which thecarbons are in contact when no current is How ing over the circuit,cannot be advantageously used on circuits supplied by secondarybatteries, for the reason that the low-resistance path offered thecurrent through the carbons creates such intense heat at the point ofcon tact that they become fused together before they can separate, thuspreventing the opera tion of the lamp.

It is the especial object of my invention to overcome this objectionablefeature, and also to provide an arc-light regulator which shall beequally well adapted for use with direct and alternating currentgenerators. I accomplish these objects through the agency of a thermalregulator which holds the electrodes normally out of contact when nocurrent is on the line and allows them to come mo entarily into contactafter the current has been set up, and then withdraws them, therebyestablishing the are. This regulator consists of a thermal conductorattached to the electrodecarriers and constitutes a high-resistanceshunt to the normally-open circuit at the electrodepoints. lVith such aregulator I am enabled to establish the arc in every instance and toavoid the objectionable feature referred to above.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of a regulatorin which only one carbon electrode is fed 50 forward, and Fig. 2 amodified form adapted to feed both electrodes simultaneously.

,end of lever Referring to the drawings in detail, A is an insulatingsupport or base which carries or supports the several parts of theregulator.

B is a metallic bar attached to the base A on the left. At its upper endis a bindingpost, 1?, connected to the plus-pole of the generator in theusual manner. At the lower end, D, of the bar B is pivoted an arm. G,which carries a hcllow earbonholder, C, in its lower upturned end, M.

B is a metal bar rigidly secured to the sup port A on the right-handside, and having a binding'post, P, at its upper end for connecting itwith the minus-pole of the generator. The lower end of this bar B has anelectrode holder and guide, O.

E E' are the electrodes, the former of carbon and the latter (in Fig. l)of non-combustible materialiron, copper, or like material; but in Fig. 2both electrodes are of carbon or the material generally made use ofinarc lights.

K is a clutch-lever pivoted to the carboncarrier 0, its lower end beingsufficiently long and heavy to hold the carbon from feeding forwardunder normal conditions. The fiat leafspring L is adapted to aid theweighted end in firmly gripping the electrode.

P is a .crew adapted to abut against the short arm of the lever K whenthe arm G tilts t0 the right.

I is a high-resistance wire of platinum, attached at one end to theupper end of the short arm of lever G by an adjusting-screw, T, andpassing thence around pulleys E H H to the upper end of the bar or plateB, to which it is affixed by an adjusting-screw, T, for regulating itslength.

The operation is as follows: The battery having been connected tobinding-posts P P, the current passes by plate B, short arm of lever G,to wire I, and thence by plate B to line. This heats the high-resistancewire 1, thereby expanding it, causing the lower end of lever G to tiltto the right until the upper 5 K is brought into contact with screw P",thereby releasing the electrode E and allowingit to slide forward untilit touches the opposing electrode E Immediately the current takes thelow-resistance path through IOO the electrodes, and this permits thewire I to cool and hence to contract, thus causing the electrodes toseparate and the arc to be established. This operation is repeated whenthe arc becomes abnormal.

The modified form shown in Fig. 2 differs from that shown in Fig. 1, inthat both carbons or electrodes are fed forward, the arm G on the rightand its attachments being a duplication of those shown on the left inFig. 1, the wire I being connected in this instance to the upper ends ofboth levers G. I prefer to so adjust the wire that it is heatedsufficiently to feed the electrodes at a temperature of from 100 to 200centigrade, and in practice Ifind the best temperature to be about 125,as the wire appears to be more sensitive at that temperature to varyingchanges of current strength, due to the operation of the lamp.

I am aware that it is not broadly new with me to regulate the feed ofarc-light electrodes by means of thermally-actuated devices, and I donot claim such, broadly; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An arc-light regulator consisting of a high-resistance thermalelectrical conductor located in a shunt around the electrodes andconnected directly to the carbon-carriers, in combination with clutchmechanism whereby the arc is established and continued, substantially asdescribed.

2. A regulator for are lamps, consisting of a high-resistance thermalelectrical conductor in a permanently-closed shunt about the electrodes,in combination with pivoted arms carrying the electrodes at their lowerends, the upper ends of said pivoted arms being connected directly tothe thermal electrical conductor, while the lower ends are provided withfeeding-clutches, substantially as described.

3. A regulator for are lamps, consisting of a pivoted carbon-carryinglever having one of its arms attached directly to an expansibleconductor shunting the electrodes, in combination with a clutch and amovable electrode borne by the other arm of said lever, and a fixedreleasingstop adapted to act on the releasingclutch, substantially asdescribed.

4. A thermal regulator consisting of a highresistance expansible shuntabout the electrodes, in combination with a carbon-feeding clutchpivotally attached to the carbon carrier,an d said carbon-carrier beingpivoted and attached directly to the shunt, substantially as described.

5. An electric lamp consisting of two gravitating electrodes normallyheld out of contact by clutches attached directly to the carbon-carrier,in combination with a high-resistance expansible shunt and connections,as described,

for establishing the arc and feeding the carbons.

LEONARD PAGET. Witnesses:

EVELYN PAGET, W. J. McOoNN.

